How to break the funk

[Montag DP]

I know we're a really bad team, but I don't think the talent level is so bad that we should expect to lose out. When we were winning games in November-December, it's true that we were still getting outplayed every night and had our fair share of luck, but we were at least playing with more energy (IMO), confidence (which winning will do for you), and without quite as many defensive breakdowns (IMO again). Though we all want to finish last, I'd guess pretty much everyone would agree that losing the rest of our games is not the optimal path to that goal. With that in mind, a couple questions to discuss:

1) How to overcome the emotional toll of losing so much, actually play with some energy and confidence again, and hopefully win a few more games at some point?
2) Do you think Nolan has an answer for the above?
3) Do you think Murray is concerned about losing this much, or is all well that ends in us picking #1 or #2? If he is concerned about it, do you think he will try to address it in any way?

Click to read more...

 

[Myllz]

We were winning in Nov-Dec because Enroth was on fire, and they were still barely winning. When you have an average goaltender with the rest of this team, they're going to be awful, which is what's happening now.

As for your questions, Nolan's not going to be able to do anything. You can't have bad talent and experienced players win games on any sort of consistent basis. As for Murray, he doesn't care about this season, either. He basically warned everyone at the beginning of the season that they were going to be bad. Why would he panic now when he went into the season knowing that?

 

[Montag DP]

We were winning in Nov-Dec because Enroth was on fire, and they were still barely winning. When you have an average goaltender with the rest of this team, they're going to be awful, which is what's happening now.

As for your questions, Nolan's not going to be able to do anything. You can't have bad talent and experienced players win games on any sort of consistent basis. As for Murray, he doesn't care about this season, either. He basically warned everyone at the beginning of the season that they were going to be bad. Why would he panic now when he went into the season knowing that?

I agree that great goaltending was the main reason we won most of those games. But there were some respectable (for them) team efforts sprinkled in there too. It was certainly a different feel than what we are seeing now. Right now, they just look lost and dejected as a whole. I would think that this is a concern for the coaching and managing staff, but I don't know if there's a good answer.

 

[Takeo]

A concern for management? This season is becoming best case scenario. Wins are meaningless. These players and coaches are stop gaps. Yes they have become one of the most pitiful teams in all sports, but there is finally a payoff on the horizon.

 

[Bps21*]

We've only won two games this season where we weren't outshot by DOUBLE DIGITS. It's a myth that they ever had much good going on other than that enroth hot stretch.

 

[Montag DP]

Fair enough. But the question remains, how is the team actually going to win a few more games? I take it the answer is, try to get lucky again at some point? I was hoping someone had a more interesting idea.

 

[Bps21*]

If Murray were to make moves to try and win more games in this lost season where we are in the mceichel drivers seat he should be fired immediately. It would be one thing if we just didn't get there...but it's February now and we have to give it away at this point. You can't give it away.

 

[RecycledEichel]

We need to make a sacrifice..

Leino

 

[stokes84]

It's going to take a team sleep walking and having their worst game, along with some lucky bounces.

 

[Bps21*]

That sounds like how Montreal always shows up against us.

I pick the next game.

 

[Montag DP]

If Murray were to make moves to try and win more games in this lost season where we are in the mceichel drivers seat he should be fired immediately. It would be one thing if we just didn't get there...but it's February now and we have to give it away at this point. You can't give it away.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting he should actually try to improve the roster to win now. I just wonder what's going through his head, and if he would do something at any point just to shake things up. i.e., cycle some of the young guys down to Rochester just to give them a temporary break from the losing streak. Or fire the goalie coach or something like that .

 

[Myllz]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting he should actually try to improve the roster to win now. I just wonder what's going through his head, and if he would do something at any point just to shake things up. i.e., cycle some of the young guys down to Rochester just to give them a temporary break from the losing streak. Or fire the goalie coach or something like that .

Again, why would he? The season is meaningless, and the ultimate goal is McDavid or Eichel. Shaking things up in an attempt to get more wins this season would be counter-productive. If anything, this team will probably get worse at the trade deadline.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

1) How to overcome the emotional toll of losing so much, actually play with some energy and confidence again, and hopefully win a few more games at some point?

Roster shakeup. Either by trade or call up / assignment to Rochester. Or both. We can maybe rely on one or two lines for like 50% of the games? It's not enough. If we want to start playing a joke on the league by acting like a bubble team for the rest of the season, it's just not going to happen with this roster as it stands today. Shuffle the deck a little if you find certain levels of play unacceptable.

2) Do you think Nolan has an answer for the above?

Nolan was handed a team of players that had either lost their way, didn't care, were far too young, or all of the above. Way too many individual projects at once. I don't think he's exactly keeping a poker face over which players he'd rather not have in his lineup at the moment. I think he can fix it but it's certainly not going to happen overnight.

3) Do you think Murray is concerned about losing this much, or is all well that ends in us picking #1 or #2? If he is concerned about it, do you think he will try to address it in any way?

Even if losing lands you a teenage hockey messiah, I can't imagine Tim Murray not being concerned about the effects of potentially being known for playing on a team that held the record for longest losing streak. That doesn't exactly look good on anyones resume. If this is your introduction to being in the pros, it has to look incredibly daunting. I have to believe they are at least trying to give these players frequent sanity checks to make sure they know this isn't the **** they want to see from the next people stepping into the lineup. I think Murray makes a move if it gets dire so it gives people something else to talk about other than losing.

 

[Montag DP]

keithpops, thanks for your thoughtful answer. I agree about the losing streak. Even though I think it will be all but forgotten next year if we see some real improvement in the standings, no one wants to be associated with the worst losing streak of the modern era.

Beyond that, though, after pondering this a little bit more, I think I should have framed it not so much in terms of wins and losses, but rather in terms of player development. From the beginning of the season up through the winning streak, even when we lost it was pretty consistent that Myers, Risto, Zads, Girgs, and Ennis were in the "good" column. Lately, I feel like no one at all really belongs there. Literally the only good thing to happen in the last month is that we've lost enough that it's hard to imagine us not getting one of the top two picks. Surely both Murray and Nolan have to be concerned about this, as properly developing our current crop of young players and prospects is more important to the rebuild than even landing McEichel. So how do you instill the confidence needed for those guys to actually improve as players during the second half of the year when they're stuck in this situation?

 

[Takeo]

The confidence/mental development thing is insignificant in that regard. Losing these games has very little long-term impact. They're pros. Everything gets fixed instantly by winning. And they'll win with better talent not by massaging the current group of mediocre young players.

 

[Royisgone]

I know we're a really bad team, but I don't think the talent level is so bad that we should expect to lose out. When we were winning games in November-December, it's true that we were still getting outplayed every night and had our fair share of luck, but we were at least playing with more energy (IMO), confidence (which winning will do for you), and without quite as many defensive breakdowns (IMO again). Though we all want to finish last, I'd guess pretty much everyone would agree that losing the rest of our games is not the optimal path to that goal. With that in mind, a couple questions to discuss:

1) How to overcome the emotional toll of losing so much, actually play with some energy and confidence again, and hopefully win a few more games at some point?
2) Do you think Nolan has an answer for the above?
3) Do you think Murray is concerned about losing this much, or is all well that ends in us picking #1 or #2? If he is concerned about it, do you think he will try to address it in any way?

None of this matters much. This season will be over soon enough and then this is all history.

The makeup of the team will be quite a bit different even next year, and that team in turn won't really look like the "real team" when we finally get to where we are going. Some pieces will be in place (they're there now) but it won't be the team we are waiting for.

Whether or not Nolan can squeak out some excitement from this group is irrelevant, and in fact, I hope he can't.

No, Murray is not concerned about losing this much. In fact, it's the plan.

NEXT YEAR these questions might become more relevant. In my opinion, the tank goes into "anti-tank" mode next year. I.E., it goes back to normal and we try to win games as you would expect. Murray has said as much.

Keep in mind one thing however! Our record is likely to improve marginally next year, but we are still going to be horrible. It will not be a result of intentional tanking however.

This project still has some time to play out.

 

[BHD]

I sincerely feel bad for your fanbase having to avoid the main board because of all the mock threads. But trust me, you'll feel way better when the Sabres are on the rise, and the tank talk still continues.

By the way, Sabres fans are probably the most humble and knowledgeable crew out there (I went to the entire WJC in 2011).

 

[joshjull]

None of this matters much. This season will be over soon enough and then this is all history.

The makeup of the team will be quite a bit different even next year, and that team in turn won't really look like the "real team" when we finally get to where we are going. Some pieces will be in place (they're there now) but it won't be the team we are waiting for.

Whether or not Nolan can squeak out some excitement from this group is irrelevant, and in fact, I hope he can't.

No, Murray is not concerned about losing this much. In fact, it's the plan.

NEXT YEAR these questions might become more relevant. In my opinion, the tank goes into "anti-tank" mode next year. I.E., it goes back to normal and we try to win games as you would expect. Murray has said as much.

Keep in mind one thing however! Our record is likely to improve marginally next year, but we are still going to be horrible. It will not be a result of intentional tanking however.

This project still has some time to play out.

Not necessarily. It all depends on how successful Murray is in the offseason with making changes to the roster.

The biggest issue with the roster are the d-corp and center group. Without a single trade we will have some answers at both positions with Reinhart and our 2015 pick at center and Pysyk on the blue line. How much more he can add to that will go a long way towards the possibilities next year. The turn around can happen faster than you think if he succeeds. For example, simply swapping out Strachan, Mess and Benoit on defense with Pysyk and one legit top 4 dman would make the d-corp infinitely better.

 

[joshjull]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting he should actually try to improve the roster to win now. I just wonder what's going through his head, and if he would do something at any point just to shake things up. i.e., cycle some of the young guys down to Rochester just to give them a temporary break from the losing streak. Or fire the goalie coach or something like that .

If you listen to any of his recent interviews he doesn't sound concerned at all about this year. In fact he rarely talks much about it beyond individual players. He did touch on having a hard time at the start of the year with how things were going. He said it was his Uncle Brian who told him to have patience and not to let it get him because he will be rewarded at the end of the season. Ever since that interview, which was right at the beginning of the win streak, he hasn't really been commenting much on the team or worrying much about the results. He has been flying all over the place to scout though. That probably helps him think more about the positive future of the team instead of the depressing present.

 

[LottoPlease]

2) Do you think Nolan has an answer for the above?

Nolan has all answers from above

 

[SabresFanNorthPortFL]

A concern for management? This season is becoming best case scenario. Wins are meaningless. These players and coaches are stop gaps. Yes they have become one of the most pitiful teams in all sports, but there is finally a payoff on the horizon.

ditto...

1. clear house (coaching staff) at the end of the season and bring in a winner.

2. look at the roster and cut half of them loose and start to put a real team together.

3. problem solved.

 

[jBuds]

Upped out funk gon give it to ya.

DONT YA NEED ME JUICEBOX.

 

[SiDC1]

Not necessarily. It all depends on how successful Murray is in the offseason with making changes to the roster.

What changes? Letting Stafford and Stewart walk for just about nothing? Not like either are showing that they can help any team on the bubble. Do you honestly think any free agent worth a **** would remotely consider signing this summer? What you see (except w/ the addition of a top 2 pick and players from Roch) is what you will see next season.

marginally better, yeah..... I'll believe it when I see it. Oh and for those who honestly believe that season will be forgotten, think again. This season will most likely be recorded in NHL history as one of the worse NHL teams ever. Sorry but I am embarrassed to have that distinction.

 

[Myllz]

What changes? Letting Stafford and Stewart walk for just about nothing? Not like either are showing that they can help any team on the bubble. Do you honestly think any free agent worth a **** would remotely consider signing this summer? What you see (except w/ the addition of a top 2 pick and players from Roch) is what you will see next season.

marginally better, yeah..... I'll believe it when I see it. Oh and for those who honestly believe that season will be forgotten, think again. This season will most likely be recorded in NHL history as one of the worse NHL teams ever. Sorry but I am embarrassed to have that distinction.

 

[SiDC1]

I really don't care if you care. There is a great deal of uncertainty with all this and it seems to be getting larger by the day.